Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-04-08
Baking Powders" and the Public Health.

whereit Was not 20 be found.
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GBeking Powders" and the Public Health.
From the Austin (TeX.) Medical Journal. -
The public have not the faintest con-
ceptiOn, nor even the medical professions
an adequate idea, of the extent to which
'teur daily bread" is adulterated. Many
SPURIOUS, worthless, even dangerous pre-
parations, by kind CT Iatterday "boofn-
ingI' acquire q popularity which often
drives purer, better articles from the
market on account OF the low prieeiat
which they can be sold. Instances A.of
such eadulteratiou are constantly being
brought to light in those states where the
ArguS-eyed inspector is ever on the giert
The adulteration of bread is more THU
rious to public health than any other
form of food adulteration; and the Sharp
ers "get in their work' most effectually
through the medium Of so called "baking
powde1s,' with which the market is
fiooded-all claiming to be the best, and
all warranted "free from adulteration."
The substances most used for this ne
farious purpose are alum and lime. Alum
costs about q cents per pound, and lime
almost nothing; while pure cream OF tar
tar, of which these articles are claimed
to be composed, costs about 40 cents.
Hence the temptation, and hence the sue
cesstul imposition by means of lower
price, upon the unsuspeCtings Let the
physician contemplate for m9ment the
effect which the daily ingesuon OF lime
or alum must nave W on the general
health. It is slow poison but sure
one, and is, doubtless, one OF the most
prolific causes of indigestiOnIdysp epSiR,
etc, and OF kidney disease, to say nothing
Of a large class of nOndescript ailments,
which, being obscure, are lGid to ''ma-
larian Lime, upon being heated, gives
D., # q small quantity of carbehic acid gas,
which serves TO make the bread "riSe:"
but what IS left? quickiime,
powerful caustEc. ImsginB the effect
which the ingestiOn of such q
substance daily for q lOng period Of time,
must have upon the delicate mucous
membrane OF tha stomach, especially Of
infants; aud, later@on, upon that of the
bladder, where doubtless minute par
ticles OF it are tpally deposited, and
become the nuclei of the stone in the
bladder.
Professor J. W. Mql!ett of the Uni
versity of Virginia IIate Of that Of
Texas says of this 8dulteration: 81 am
decidedly Of the opinion that both the
! substance (alum) itself, and the products
/ 10 which il gives rise in the course of
making of bread, are furious to health,
and on that accounssfalI into the list of
such food accessories as should, on SAM
tary grounds, be prohibited by law"
The attention OF the sanitary officers of
the UDited States gtFernment has been
directed to this matter, and Professor H.
A. Mott, United States Government
Chemist, made an analysis Of over 100
specimens Of baking powders bought, in
open market, AID it is asserted that every
one that was examined, with one notable
exception, the Royal Baking Powder, CON
! tanned either alum or lime or both; and
i'll one y per cent. or one-eighth Of the
weight, was lime. When such g conspic-
Uous exception is found, amidst so much
fraud, the public and the medical probes
/ sion should show their appreciation of it;
should regard itas benefactiOn; and a
part of the CaTeeXerCised by the family
physician on behalf of the health of his
constituency, if directed Eto caution
against such insjCious adulterations,
/ would DOUBTLESS prove a protective meas
ure against future ailments, and save
much subsequent t:oChle.
! Actuated partly BY curiosity Gnd partly
/ BY an interest in the ,sDhjsct, we caused
sn EXAMINATION Of this brand, the Royal
Baking 20 N4lur, 20 be made by a C0mpe-
4 tent chemist and assured ourselves Of lis
pIri.y. Doubtless there are other brands
which are pure, or nearly SO; but cot
sDicuoUs position has been given this one
! in particular ~ published an4lyses and
! testimonials OF absolute purity by such
J L
/ Tucker, professor of chemistry Of the
/ Albany, n Y Medical College; Professor
! McMurtrie, late chemist of thesAgricul-
turaI Department Of the United States
government, aud by Professor Mallett Of
the Virgins University, We'll known to all
! Tcx4ns as a thorough and conscientious
/ chemist.
1t is not claimed that all baking powder
adulterati1ns are harmful, but it is to be
urged that there is great danger in the
use sof these miscellaneous pog Gers
which food the market, or ere peddled
/ from door to door, whose contents are
not known, or are of doubtful Quality
ADMINISTRATION of this danger is giVen in
! the. foil owing paragraph. which IS buh one
OF the many similar reports seen Ia the
public press:
WABASH, IND, Jan. 5.-The family OF
John Wooster, q prominent citizeE Of
Montpelier, Blsckford county, consisting
Of five persons, were poisoned On Monday
night by eating biscuit in which had been
used q very inferior quality of baking
Epowder. Two hours after supper the
Eentlre family was seized with terrible
fgripes, and their intense pain could not
4 be alleviated. The patients have grown
4 steadily worse and alarming symDtorns
have appeared. One of the children is
dying, and the remainder of the family Is
in precarious condltion.-TW Waco Exc
amner.
The hope is cherished, that the day is
not far distant when an intelligent board
Of health in Texas will exercise vigil
snce in the direction of food adulteration,
in the interest of public health, and then
this crime, for such it is, will be pun
ished by law, as it deserves to be.